Beat The ... Spanish Classical

HERE is a post I wrote but did not publish during the covid crisis.

In this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

A popular answer to the Ruy Lopez, at least at club level, is the Classical Variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5.

It could be said Black is meeting the Spanish Opening by playing the black side of the Italian Game.

Of those responses appearing in Mega21 at least 500 times, the most-successful statistically is 4.c3, which scores 62%.

Position after 4.c3

Black has six replies that each appear more than 250 times in Mega21.

A) 4...Nf6 (1,721 games)

After 5.Qe2!? the line splits.

A1 5...0-0 6.0-0 (6.d3 scores equally well, and in practice the two moves often transpose, but castling is more popular and arguably more flexible as the white king is probably destined to end up on the kingside), after which the line splits again.

A1.1 6...Re8 7.d3, when A1.1a 7...h6 8.h3!? scores 86% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A1.1b 7...a6 8.Ba4 b5 9.Bc2 scores 60% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A1.2 6...d6 7.d3, when A1.2a 7...h6 8.Nbd2 scores 90% for White, albeit from a small sample, A1.2b 7...Bb6!? 8.Nbd2 Ne7!? 9.Nc4 scores 58% for White, albeit from a small sample, A1.2c 7...a6 8.Ba4 Ba7!? 9.Be3 scores 83% for White, albeit from a very small sample, and A1.2d 7...Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Nbd2 scores 83% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

A2 5...Qe7 6.d3 0-0 7.Bg5 d6 8.Nbd2 scores 89% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B) 4...f5 (840 games)

After 5.d4 the line splits.

B1 5...fxe4 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Nfd2!? Bd6 8.dxe5 e3 (not 8...Bxe5?? 9.Qh5+ etc) 9.exd6 exd2+ 10.Nxd2 scores 71% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B2 5...exd4!? 6.e5!? dxc3 7.Nxc3 scores 80% for White, albeit from a small sample.

C) 4...Nge7 (598 games)

After 5.0-0 the line splits.

C1 5...Bb6!? 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Bg5!? scores 77% for White, albeit from a small sample.

C2 5...a6 6.Ba4, after which the line splits again.

C2.1 6...b5 7.Bc2!? (7.Bb3 scores equally well, but Bc2 is less well-known and is preferred by Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1), when C2.1a 7...d6 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 scores 86% for White, C2.1b 7...0-0 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample, and C2.1c 7...d5 8.d4!? scores 80% for White, albeit from a small sample.

C2.2 6...0-0 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4, when C2.2a 8...Ba7 9.d5 Nb8 9.d6!? scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample, and C2.2b 8...Bb6 9.d5 Na7 10.d6!? scores 92% for White, albeit from a small sample.

C3 5...0-0 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 8.d5, after which the line splits again.

C3.1 8...Nb8 9.d6!? scores 81% for White.

C3.2 8...a6 9.Ba4, when C3.2a 9...Na7 10.d6!? scores 92% for White, albeit from a small sample, and C3.2b 9...Nb8 10.d6!? scores 83% for White, albeit from a small sample.

D) 4...d6!? (481 games)

After 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Kf1!? Bd7 8.Qa4 the line splits.

D1 8...Nge7 9.d5 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

D2 8...a5 9.a3 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

D3 8...Qe7 reaches a position in Mega21 in which White scores 100% with both 9.d5 and 9.Bxc6, albeit from  very small samples.

E) 4...Qf6!? (335 games)

After 5.d4!? exd4 6.e5 Qg6 7.cxd4 the line splits.

E1 7...Bb4+ 8.Nc3, after which the line splits again.

E1.1 8...d5 9.0-0 Ne7 10.Qb3 Bxc3 10.bxc3 scores 90% for White, albeit from a small ample.

E1.2 8...Nge7 9.0-0 d5 is a transposition  to E1.1.

E2 7...Nxd4!? 8.Nxd4 Qb6 9.Be3 Bxd4 reaches a position in Mega21 in which White scores 63% with 10.Qxd4. albeit from a small sample, and 100% with 10.Bxd4, albeit from a very small sample.

F) 4...a6!? (265 games)

After 5.Bxc6!? the line splits.

F1 5...dxc6 6.Nxe5 scores 83% for White, albeit from a small sample.

F2 5...bxc6 6.Nxe5 scores 95% for White, albeit from a small sample.

Beat The ... Dragon

HERE is a post I wrote but did not publish during Lockdown.

IN this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

The Sicilian Dragon: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 is one of the commonest opening sequences in chess.

Of those continuations featuring more than 3,000 times in Mega21, the most-popular, 6.Be3, scores a respectable 56%, but this is eclipsed by the 58% of 6.f4!?

Position after 6.f4!?

Black has three popular replies.

A) 6...Nc6 (1,599 games)

After 7.Nf3!? Bg7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 the line splits.

A1 9...a6 10.Kh1 b5 11.Qe1 scores 60% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A2 9...Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 scores 70% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A3 9...b5!? 10.Nxb5!? Qb6+ 11.Kh1 Nxe4!? 12.Nxa7 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A4 9...Bd7 10.Kh1!? scores 67% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B) 6...Bg7 (1,064 games)

After 7.e5!? the line splits.

B1 7...dxe5 8.fxe5, after which the line splits again.

B1.1 8...Ng4? 9.Bb5+, when B1.1a 9...Kf8 10.Ne6+! scores 100% for White (there are 135 examples of this trap in Mega21), B1.1b 9...Nc6 10.Nxc6 Qxd1+ 11.Nxd1 a6 12.Ba4 Bd7 13.h3 scores 81% for White, albeit from a small sample, and B1.1c 9... Bd7 10.Qxg4 scores 85% for White.

B1.2 8...Nd5? 9.Bb5+, when B1.2a 9...Kf8 10.0-0 Bxe5 11.Nxd5 Qxd5 12.Bh6+ Kg8 13.Nd5 Qc5+ (12...Qxc5? 13.Nxe7#) 14.Be3 Qc7 15.Nh6+ leads to mate in one,  and B1.2b 9...Bd7 10.Nxd5 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B1.3 8...Nfd7 9.e6, when B1.3a 9...Ne5!? 10.Bb5+ Nbc6 11.exf7+ Kxf7 12.0-0 Bf6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 reaches a position where White scores 75% with both 14.Ba4 and 14.Qxd8, albeit from small samples, and B1.3b 9...fxe6 10.Nxe6 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qa5 12.Qd4!? Nf6 13.Bb5+ scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B2 7...Nh5 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Qe2!? scores 67% for White, albeit from a small sample.

 

C) 6...Nbd7 (335 games)

After 7.Nf3!? the line splits.

C1 7...Bg7 8.Bc4!? scores 67% for White, albeit from a small sample.

C2 7...Qc7!? occurs just 17 times in Mega21. The analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White already has a large advantage after the simple 8.Qd4.

Beat The ... Colle

HERE is a piece I wrote but did not post during the covid panic.

IN this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

The Colle System usually starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3!? or 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3!?

Black's most-popular reply, 3...e6, scores 45%, but best, at least statistically, is 3...c5!?, which scores an excellent 58%.

Position after 3...c5!?

White has four continuations that appear more than 500 times in Mega21.

A) 4.c3 (1,805 games)

After 4...Qc7 the line splits.

A1 5.Bd3 Nc6!?, after which the line splits again.

A1.1 6.Nbd2 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 scores 55% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A1.2 6.0-0 e5!? 7.dxe5 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 Qxe5 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A2 5.Nbd2 Nbd7, after which the line splits again.

A2.1 6.Bd3 e5, when A2.1a 7.dxe5 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 Qxe5 9.Nf3 Qh5!? scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and A2.1b 7.e4!? exd4 scores 70% for Black, albeit from a small sample size.

B) 4.b3 (1,304 games)

After 4...cxd4!? 5.exd4 Nc6 the line splits.

B1 6.Bb2 g6!?, after which the line splits again.

B1.1 7.Be2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0, when B1.1a 9.Nbd2 Bf5 10.a3 Rc8 11.Rc1 Ne4 scores 90% for Black, albeit from a small sample, B1.1b 9.c4 Bf5 10.Nc3 Rc8 scores 76% for Black, and B1.1c 9.Ne5 Ne4 10.Nd2 Nd6!? scores 83% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

B1.2 7.Bd3 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0, when B1.2a 9.a3 Ne4 10.Nbd2 Bf5 11.Re1 Nd6 scores 93% for Black, albeit from a small sample, B1.2b 9.Nbd2 Nb4 10.Be2 Bf5 11.Ne1 Rc8 12.c3 Nc6 scores 75% for Black, and B1.2c 9.Re1 Bg4 scores 86% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B1.3 7.Nbd2 Bg7 8.a3 0-0 9.Bd3 Nh5!?, when B1.3a 10.g3 reaches a position in Mega21 in which Black scores 72% with both 10...Qb6 and 10...Bg4, albeit from small samples, and B1.3b 10.0-0 Nf4 11.Bb5 Qb6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B2 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.Bb2 Qa5+, after which the line splits again.

B2.1 8.Bc3 Qb6 scores 100% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

B2.2 8.Nbd2 Ne4 scores 100% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

C) 4.c4 (1,128 games)

After 4...cxd4 the line splits.

C1 5.exd4 g6!? 6.Nc3 Bg7, after which the line splits again.

C1.1 7.cxd5 Nxd5, when C1.1a 8.Bc4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 10.Qb3 0-0 scores 76% for Black, C1.1b 8.Qb3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Be2 Qc7 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample, C1.1c 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Qb3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 0-0 scores 62% for Black, and C1.1d 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Qb3 Be6!? 11.Qxb7 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Rd1 Rb8 scores 90% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

C1.2 7.Be2 Nc6!? 8.0-0 0-0, when C1.2a 9.h3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Na5 (10...b6 scores equally well, but the knight move is preferred by the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1) 11.Be2 Be6 scores 70% for Black, C1.2b 9.Re1 Bf5!? 10.Bg5 Ne4 scores 64% for Black, albeit from a small sample, C1.2c 9.Be3 b6!? 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.Bf3 Na5!? scores 69% for Black, albeit from a small sample, C1.2d 9.Bg5 dxc4!? 10.Bxc4 Bg4 11.d5 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Ne5 13.Qe2 Nxc4 14.Qxc4 Rc8 scores 93% for Black, albeit from a small sample, C1.2e 9.Ne5 Be6 (9...dxc4 scores equally well, but the bishop move is preferred by engines) 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.c5!? Rb8 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample, C1.2f 9.Bf4 b6!? 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.Bf3 e6 scores 62% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and C1.2g 9.c5!? Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 e6 scores 79% for Black.

C1.3 7.Bg5 Nbd7!?, when C1.3a 8.cxd5 0-0!? scores 58% for Black, and C1.3b 8.c5!? Ne4 scores 87% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

C1.4 7.Qb3 dxc4!? 8.Bxc4 0-0, when C1.4a 9.Ne5!? e6 10.Be3 Nc6!? 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.0-0 Ng4!? scores 75% for Black, albeit from a very small sample, and C1.4b 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Ne5!? Qxd4!? 11.Bxf7+ Kh8 12.Nxc6 bxc6 scores 100% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

C2 5.Nxd4 e5, after which the line splits again.

C2.1 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.cxd5 Nxd5 scores 84% for Black.

C2.2 6.Nb3 Nc6 7.cxd5 Nxd5 scores 86% for Black.

D) 4.dxc5 (502 games)

After 4...e6 the line splits.

D1 5.c4 Bxc5. after which the line splits again.

D1.1 6.a3 0-0 7.b4 Bd6 (7...Bb6 scores equally well, but the retreat to d6 is much preferred by engines) 8.Bb2 a5 scores 87% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

D1.2 6.Nc3 0-0, when D1.2a 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Be2 Nc6 9.0-0 Re8 scores 62% for Black, D1.2b 7.a3 Nc6 8.b4 Bd6 9.Bb2 a6!? scores 68% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and D1.2c 7.Be2 Nc6 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 a6 scores 76% for Black.

D2 5.a3 a5!? scores 60% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

D3 5.b4 b6!? scores 83% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

Beat The ... Delayed Dutch (part two)

IN this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

Here I will cover 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5.

Of those moves appearing at least 600 times in Mega21, the most successful, and also the most popular, is 3.g3, which scores 57%.

Position after 3.g3

Black has two popular replies.

A) 3...Nf6 (4,303 games) 

After 4.Bg2 the line splits.

A1 4...Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3, after which the line splits again.

A1.1 6...d6 7.Bb2 Qe8 8.Nbd2, when A1.1a 8...Nc6 9.Ne1!? scores 88% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A1.1b 8...Qh5 9.Ne1!? scores 85% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A1.2 6...d5 7.c4 (7.Ba3 scores equally well in Mega21, but the pawn move is much preferred by Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1), when A1.2a 7...c6 is a transposition to A3.2 of part one, A1.2b 7...Nc6 8.Bb2 Bd7 9.Nc3 scores 86% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A1.2c 7...Ne4 8.Ne5!? Nd7 9.f3 scores 63% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A2 4...d5 5.c4 (5.0-0 scores equally well in Mega21, but the pawn move is much less common and was Kasparov's choice in the position), after which the line splits again.

A2.1 5...c6 6.Bf4!?, when A2.1a 6...Be7 7.Nbd2 0-0 8.0-0 scores 83% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A2.1b 6...Bd6 7.Bxd6 Qxd6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.Qc2 scores 90% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A2.2 5...Bd6!? 6.Bf4 scores 70% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A2.3 5...Be7 is a transposition to A3 of part one.

B) 3...b6 (397 games)

After 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.c4 Be7 7.d5!? the line splits.

B1 7...0-0 8.Nd4!?, after which the line splits again.

B1.1 8...c5 9.Nb5 scores 92% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B1.2 8...Qc8!? 9.Nc3, when B1.2a 9...c5 10.Nf3 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample, and B1.2b 9...Na6 10.e4!? fxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 scores 83% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

B2 7...exd5 8.Nd4 g6 9.cxd5 scores 93% for White.

B3 7...Qc8!? 8.Nd4 scores 90% for White, albeit from a small sample.

Beat The ... Benko Gambit

HERE is another piece I wrote in the covid panic but but did not publish.

In this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

The Benko Gambit: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5!? is especially popular at club level.

White scores a disappointing 52% by accepting with 4.cxb5, but an impressive 60% by declining with 4.Nf3.

Position after 4.Nf3

Black has six popular replies.

A) 4...g6 (2,378 games)

After 5.Qc2 the line splits.

A1 5...bxc4 6.e4, after which the line splits again.

A1.1 6...d6 7.Bxc4 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1!?, when A1.1a 9...Nbd7 10.h3 Nb6 11.Na3!? scores 79% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A1.1b 9...Ba6 10.Na3 Nfd7!? 11.Rb1 scores 80% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A1.2 6...Bg7 7.Bxc4, when A1.2a 7...d6 is a transposition to A1.1, and A1.2b 7...0-0 8.0-0 d6 is also a transposition to A1.1.

A2 5...d6 6.e4 Bg7 (6...bxc4 is a transposition to A1.1) 7.cxb5!?, after which the line splits again.

A2.1 7...a6 8.Nc3 0-0 9.a4, when A2.1a 9...axb5 10.Bxb5 Na6 11.h3 scores 88% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A2.1b 9...e6 10.dxe6 scores 75% for White.

A2.2 7...0-0 8.Nc3 a6 is a transposition to A2.1.

A3 5...Bg7 6.e4, after which the line splits again.

A3.1 6...d6 is a transposition to A2.

A3.1 6...0-0 7.cxb5 a6 8.a4 scores 58% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B) 4...Bb7 (1,350 games)

After 5.Nbd2 the line splits.

B1 5...bxc4 6.e4 e6 7.dxe6,  after which the line splits again.

B1.1 7...dxe6 8.Bxc4 scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B1.2 7...fxe6 8.e5 Nd5 9.Nxc4 scores 57% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B2 5...e6 6.dxe6!? fxe6 (there are no games with 6...dxe6!? in Mega21) 7.e4!? scores 75% for White, but from just two games. Those games continued 7...Nxe4 8.Nxe4 Bxe4, when Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 like the 9.Ng5 of Dorian Rogozencko (2490).

C) 4...bxc4 (770 games)

After 5.Nc3 the line splits.

C1 5...d6 6.e4, after which the line splits again.

C1.1 6...g6 7.e5!? dxe5 8.Nxe5 Bg7 9.Bxc4 0-0 10.0-0, when C1.1a 10...Nfd7!? 11.Nxf7! Rxf7 12.d6 scores 76% for White, and C1.1b 10...Bb7 11.Re1 scores 80% for White.

C1.2 6...Nbd7 7.Bxc4 g6 8.0-0 Bg7 9.a4!? 0-0 10.h3 Rb8 11.Re1 scores 57% for White, albeit from a small sample.

C2 5...g6 6.e4 d6 is a transposition to C1.1.

D) 4...d6 (604 games)

After 5.Qc2!? the line splits.

D1 5...g6 is a transposition to A2.

D2 5...bxc4 6.e4 g6 is a transposition to A1.1.

E) 4...e6 (435 games)

After 5.Bg5 the line splits.

E1 5...exd5 6.cxd5, after which the line splits again.

E1.1 6...d6 7.e4 a6 8.a4, when E1.1a 8...Be7 9.Bxf6!? Bxf6 10.Qc2 scores 71% for White, and E1.1b 8...b4 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.Be2 scores 83% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

E1.2 6...h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.Qc2, when E1.2a 8...d6 9.e4 a6 10.a4 b4 11.Bd3!? scores 80% for White, albeit from a small sample, and E1.2b 8...Be7 9.e4 Qb6!? 10.Be2 0-0 11.0-0 scores 67% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

E1.3 6...Qa5?! 7.Nc3!? Ne4 8.Bd2 Nxd2 9.Nxd2 scores 82% for White.

E2 5...Qa5+ 6.Nbd2!?, after which the line splits again.

E2.1 6...bxc4 7.Bxf6 gxf6 8.e4 Rg8 9.g3 scores 79% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E2.2 6...Ne4?! 7.b4! Qxb4 8.Rb1 Qc3 9.Rb3 Qa5 10.Rxb5 Qc3 11.Rb3 Qa5 12.Bf4 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E3 5...h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Nc3 b4 8.Nb5, after which the line splits again.

E3.1 8...Kd8 9.a3!? scores 83% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E3.2 8...Na6 9.e4 e5 10.a3 scores 79% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E4 5...b4 6.e4 d6 7.a3!? scores 65% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E5 5...bxc4 6.Nc3, after which the line splits again.

E5.1 6...d6 7.e4, when E5.1a 7...e5 reaches a position where both 8.Bxc4 and 8.Nd2!? score 56%, albeit from small samples, and E1.5b 7...Be7 8.Bxc4 scores 68% for White.

E5.2 6...Qb6 7.e4!? scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

F) 4...b4 (380 games)

After 5.b3!? the line splits.

F1 5...g6 6.Bb2 Bg7 7.e4 scores 80% for White, albeit from a small sample.

F2 5...d6 6.Bb2 g6 7.Nbd2 Bg7 8.g3 0-0 9.Bg2 a5 10.0-0 scores 75% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

Beat The ... Grand Prix Attack (part three)

IN this series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

Here I will cover the lines of the Grand Prix Attack against the Sicilian Defence that start with 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4.

Black's commonest response is 3...Nc6, but that only scores 43%, while the second-most popular move, 3...g6, scores 50%.

Position after 3...g6

After 4.Nf3 Bg7 White has two popular continuations.

A) 5.Bc4 (1,990 games)

After 5...Nc6 the line splits.

A1 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d3 0-0 (7...Bg4 scores equally well, but Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 prefer castling), after which the line splits again.

A1.1 8.Qe1 e6, when A1.1a 9.f5 d5 10.Bb3 c4!? 11.dxc4 dxe4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Qxe4 exf5 scores 78% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and A1.1b 9.Qh4 d5 10.Bb3 c4!? scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A1.2 8.a3 Bd7 scores 55% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A1.3 8.f5!? gxf5 9.Qe1 fxe4 10.dxe4 Be6 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A2 6.d3 e6, after which the line splits again.

A2.1 7.0-0 Nge7 8.Qe1 h6!? 9.Bb3 a6 10.a4 Rb8 scores 73% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A2.2 7.f5!? exf5 8.0-0 h6!? 9.Qe1 Nge7, when A2.2a 10.Qg3 g5 scores 90% for Black, albeit from a small sample, A2.2b 10.exf5 Bxf5 scores 74% for Black, and A2.2c 10.Qh4 Be6 scores 79% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B) 5.Bb5+ (1,385 games)

After 5...Bd7 the line splits.

B1 6.Bc4 Nc6, after which the line splits again.

B1.1 7.0-0 Na5 8.Be2 Nf6, when B1.1a 9.d3 0-0 10.Qe1 Nc6 11.Qh4 Nd4 12.Bd1 Bg4 scores 56% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and B1.1.b 9.Qe1 Nc6 scores 70% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B1.2 7.d3 Na5, when B1.2a 8.Bd2 a6!? scores 62% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and B1.2b 8.Bb3 b5 9.Bd5 Rb8 scores 100% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

B2 6.Bxd7+ Qxd7, after which the line splits again.

B2.1 7.0-0 Nc6 8.0-0 Nh6!?, when B2.1a 9.Qe1 f5 scores 79% for Black, albeit from a small sample. B2.1b 9.h3 f5 scores 89% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and B2.1c 9.Kh1 f5 scores 60% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B2.2 7.d3 e6!? 8.0-0 Ne7 9.Qe1 0-0 scores 50% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B3 6.a4!? e6!? 7.0-0 Ne7 scores 85% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

Colonia De Sant Jordi Round Five

WAS downfloated against a Scot last night.

A kitten plays in the venue-hotel grounds while its mother keeps a wary eye on me

Spanton (1861) - Jonathan Grant (2157)

Nimzo-Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2!?

No doubled c pawns today, thank you.

4...d5 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 c6!?

This is quite a rare continuation, although it has been played by grandmasters. Normal are typically Nimzo-Indian moves, 6...b6 and 6...c5. Also quite popular is 6...Nbd7!?, which JG said in the postmortem he gave serious attention to.

7.Rc1 Nbd7 8.a3?!

With Black having played ...c6, it is should be obvious Black will play for the ...e5 break or plant the king's knight on e4 and support it with f5. So a3 gives Black a tempo to either relocate the dark-square bishop to d6, where it will support ...e5, or to capture on c3 and follow-up with ...Ne4. Having said that, 8.a3?! has been played by a 2445 and a 2327, although they both lost.

8...Bd6 9.Bd3 Re8 10.0-0

There is an argument for playing e4 before Black can  get in ...e5, but it looks risky with White uncastled, and the move is strongly disliked by Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.

10...e5

In positions with pawns facing each other at d4 and d5, the first player to get in the e-pawn break often has an edge, or at least the initiative. Here it is not so clear as White has a slight lead in development.

11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5

How should White proceed?

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13.f4?!

I rejected the engines' choice, 13.cxd5, because I was worried about a Greek Gift sacrifice on h2, but the engines reckon 13...Bxh2+? 14.Kxh2 Ng4+ 15.Kg3 (not 15.Kg1?? Qh4 etc) wins for White. Instinctively I did not trust 13.h3?!, and indeed the engines reckon Black is at least slightly better after 13...dxc4 14.Bxc4 Bf5. That left the text, which removes immediate danger from the white king but creates a backward e pawn and leaves a hole at e4.

13...Bg4 14.Qc2 dxc4?!

Probably better is the engines' 14...Bc7, or 14...Bxc3 15.Bxc3 dxc4 16.Bxc4, which transposes to the game but without allowing White the option of capturing on e5.

15.Bxc4

The engines' give 15.fxe5!? cxd3 16.Qa4 Rxe5 17.Rxf6 Qxf6 18.Qxg4 with an unclear position.

15...Bxc3

The engines prefer 15...Bc7.

16.Bxc3

Not 16.Qxc3?? Ne4, while 16.bxc3? creates more weaknesses.

16...Nd5

The engines marginally prefer grabbing the pawn with 16...Rxe3, but White's bishop-pair and better-coordinated pieces make it a chancy decision in practice.

17.Bxd5 Qxd5 18.Bd4 Bf5 19.Qc3 Re6!?

Indirectly defending g7 (20.Bxg7?? Rg6) and preparing more pressure against g2, but the engines reckon Black should defend with 19...f6 and concentrate on central play.

20.Rcd1

This is the engines' choice, but Stockfish15 points out the possibility of 20.Bxa7!?, the point being the threat of back-rank mate means 20...Rxa7?? loses to 21.R(either)d1. However, after 20...Rg6 21.Rf2 Be4 White apparently has nothing better than 22.Qd4, when 22...Rxg2+ 23.Rxg2 Bxg2 24.Qxd5 Bxd5 25.bc5 is at best equal for White.

20...Rg6 21.g3?

Not 21.Rf3?? Qxf3, but the engines reckon 21.Rd2 is dead-equal.

21...Bh3 22.Rf2

Not only is White horribly weak on the kingside light squares, but the white rooks are uncoordinated

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22...h5 23.Rdd2!?

Weakening the back rank is often a dubious idea but at least the text links the white rooks.

23...Qa2?!

A doubtful diversion. Black is better after the consistent 23...h4.

24.Qd3!?

Putting the queen on a file that will be occupied by the black queen's rook may not be best. The engines suggest 24.Rd1.

24...Rd8 25.b4 Qd5 26.e4

The engines slightly prefer 26.Qe2 or 26.f5!?

26...Qd7 27.Qe3

27.e5 prevents Black's next, but 27...h4 is good.

27...Rd6 28.Bc3 Rd3

How should White respond?

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29.Qe2?

Best is 29.Rxd3 (29.Qxd3 comes to the same thing) Qxd3 30.Qxd3 Rxd3 31.Rc2, although as JG pointed out Black is better after 31...Rf3 (the engines reckon Black has the upper hand).

29...Rxc3?!

Spectacular, but not best, according to the engines. They give the more-prosaic 29...Rxd2 30.Qxd2 Qc7 31.Qe2 c5!, claiming a winning advantage for Black, eg they reckon best-play runs 32.Qxh5 cxb4 33.axb4 Qxc3 34.Qxh3 35.Qxb4, when Black's connected queenside passers, combined with the continuing weakness of the white king, give a large advantage.

30.Rxd7 Rxd7 31.Rf3??

Correct is 31.Rf1 Bxf1 32.Kxf1, when 32...Rxa3 33.e5 (33.Qxh5?? Rd2) gives decent drawing chances, eg 33...h4 (33...Re7 34.Qxh5) 34.e6 Re7 35.exf7+ Kf8 36.Qg4. Instead of 32...Rxa3, Stockfish15 prefers coordinating rooks with 32...Rdd3, but 33.e5 again gives drawing chances, although 35...h4 36.e6 Rf3+! 37.Kg2 Rfe3 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines.

The game finished:

31...Bg4 32.Qb2 Rxf3 33.f5 Bh3 0-1

Beat The ... French Tarrasch

IN this occasional series I look at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

Many French Defence players find White's most-annoying line to be the Tarrasch Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2.

Of those responses that appear more than 1,000 times in Mega21, the most successful, scoring 50%, is 3...h6!?, which is a favourite of Nigel Short's and has also been played by Magnus Carlsen.

Position after 3...h6!?

White has three popular replies.

A) 4.Ngf3 (551 games)

After 4...Nf6 the line splits.

A1 5.e5 Nfd7, after which the line splits again.

A1.1 6.Bd3 c5 7.c3 Nc6 8.0-0 g5!?, when A1.1a 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Nb3 Bb6 11.Re1 g4 12.Nfd4 Ncxe5 scores 56% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and A1.1b 9.h3 h5 10.g4 hxg4 11.hxg4 Qb6 scores 60% for Black.

A1.2 6.c4!? dxc4 (6...Be7 scores equally well, but the capture is preferred by the analysis engine Stockfish13), when A1.2a 7.Nc4 Nb6 8.Nxb6 axb6 scores 67% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and A1.2b 7.Bxc4 Nb6 8.Bb3 Nc6 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

A2 5.Bd3 c5, after which the line splits again.

A2.1 6.exd5 Nxd5!? 7.0-0 Nc6 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A2.2 6.c3 cxd4 7.cxd4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Bxe4 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Nd7!? scores 71% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

A2.3 6.e5 Nfd7 is a transposition to A1.1.

A2.4 6.dxc5 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Nxe4 8.Bxe4 Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1 Bxc5 10.Ke2 Nd7 scores 58% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B) 4.Bd3 (238 games)

After 4...c5 (4...Nf6 scores equally well, but the pawn thrust is preferred by Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1) the line splits.

B1 5.dxc5 Bxc5 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Nge7 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B2 5.c3 Nc6, after which the line splits again.

B2.1 6.Ngf3 Nf6 7.0-0 cxd4 8.cxd4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Be7 scores 59% for Black.

B2.2  6.Ne2 cxd4 7.cxd4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Bb4+ scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

B3 5.exd5 exd5, after which the line splits again.

B3.1 6.Ngf3 c4 7.Be2 Nc6 scores 50% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

B3.2 6.Qe2+ Be7!? scores 75% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

B3.3 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Nb3 Be7 scores 83% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

C) 4.c3 (188 games)

After 4...c5 the line splits.

C1 5.exd5 exd5 (5...Qxd5 scores equally well, but the engines prefer the pawn recapture), after which the line splits again.

C1.1 6.Ngf3 Nf6 7.Bb5+ Bd7, when C1.1a 8.Qe2+ Be7 9.dxc5 0-0 10.Nb3 Re8 11.Be3 Qc7 scores 75% for Black, albeit from a small sample, and C1.1b 8.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 9.0-0 Be7 10.dxc5 Nxc5 11.Nb3 Nce4!? scores 50% for Black, albeit from a very small sample.

C1.2 6.Bb5+ Nc6 scores 62% for Black, albeit from a small sample.

C2 5.Ngf3 Nf6, after which the line splits again.

C2.1 6.exd5 exd5 is a transposition to C1.1.

C2.2 6.e5 Nfd7 7.Bd3 is a transposition to A1.1.

C2.3 6.Bd3 is a transposition to A2.2.

Beat The ... Sicilian 2...d6

IN this occasional series I am looking at the statistically best way to play against popular opening lines.

The numbers are drawn from the 2021 edition of ChessBase's Mega database, ignoring, where possible, those results that include very few games and so are statistically insignificant.

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3, Black's most-popular continuation is 2...d6.

White's commonest third moves are 3.d4, which scores 52%, and 3.Bb5+, which scores 51%.

Most other moves, including 3.g3, 3.Bc4, 3.Nc3, 3.b4 and 3.d3, score under 50% - in other words, in those lines, from a statistical view, Black already has an edge.

But there is one move that beats all these by scoring a respectable 54%, and that is 3.c3, which is a delayed form of the Sicilian Alapin: 1.e4 c5 2.c3.

One point about playing the Alapin in this delayed form is that Black's most-popular answer to 2.c3, namely 2...d5, is effectively ruled out as, after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 d5?! Black is a tempo down on normal lines.

Similarly, another popular response to the Alapin, 2...e6, which is usually a prelude to playing ...d5 in one move, also looks a little strange if played in the move-order 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 e6.

Position after 3.c3

Black has eight replies that occur more than 100 times in Mega21 and, despite what I have written above, they include ...d5 and ...e6.

A) 3...Nf6 (22,511 games)

After 4.h3 (this and 4.g3 score equally well, but h3 is preferred by Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1), the line splits.

A1 4...Nc6 (there are 80 games in Mega21 that saw 4...Nxe4?? 5.Qa4+) 5.Bd3, after which the line splits again.

A1.1 5...g6 6.0-0 Bg7 7.Bc2 0-0 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4, when A1.1a 9...Nb4 10.Bb3 d5 (not 10...Nxe4?? 11.Qe1) 11.e5 Ne4 12.Re1 scores 68% for White, albeit from a small sample, A1.1b 9...e5 10.d5 Nb4 11.Bb3 a5 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.a3 Na6 14.Be3 scores 86% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A1.1c 9...d5 10.e5 Ne4 11.Re1 Bf5 12.Nc3 scores 75% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

A1.2 5...d5 6.exd5!?, when A1.2a 6...Qxd5 7.Qe2 Bf5 8.Bc4 scores 60% for White, and A1.2b 6...Nxd5 7.0-0 g6 8.Bb5 scores 60% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A1.3 5...e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.Re1 0-0 8.Bc2 scores 77% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A2 4...g6 5.Bd3 Bg7 6.Bc2 (this and 6.0-0 score equally well, but the bishop move is narrowly preferred by the engines, although the lines often transpose anyway), after which the line splits again.

A2.1 6...0-0 7.0-0, when A2.1a 7...Nc6 is a transposition to A1.1, and A2.1b 7...e5 8.d3 Nc6 9.a3 scores 71% for White.

A2.2 6...Nc6 7.d4 cxd4 8.cxd4, when A2.2a 8...0-0 9.Nc3 e5 10.dxe5!? scores 67%, albeit from a small sample, and A2.2b 8...d5 9.e5 Ne4 10.0-0 0-0 is a transposition to A1.1c.

A2.3 6...e5 7.0-0 0-0 is a transposition to A2.1b.

A3 4...Nbd7 5.Bd3, after which the line splits again.

A3.1 5...b6 6.0-0 Bb7 7.Re1, when A3.1a 7...Qc7 8.Bc2 Rc8 9.Na3!? e6 10.d4 scores 56% for White, A3.1b 7...Rc8 8.Qe2!? scores 70% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A3.1c 7...e6 8.Bc2 Be7 9.d4 scores 64% for White.

A3.2 5...g6 6.Bc2 Bg7 7.d4 0-0 8.0-0, when A3.2a 8...Qc7 9.Qe2 scores 69% for White, albeit from a small sample, A3.2b 8...b6 9.e5 scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample, and A3.2c 8...e5, following which White scores 63% with both 9.dxe5 and 9.Re1, albeit from small samples.

A4 4...e6 5.Bd3, after which the line splits again.

A4.1 5...Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A4.2 5...Nc6 is a transposition to A1.3.

A5 4...Bd7 5.Bd3, after which the line splits again.

A5.1 5...Bc6 6.Qe2 Nbd7 7.Bc2 scores 63% for White.

A5.2 5...Nc6 6.Bc2 Rc8 7.0-0 g6 8.d4 scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample.

A5.3 5...g6 6.0-0 Bg7 7.Bc2 0-0 8.d4 scores 64% for White.

B) 3...Nc6 (1,359 games)

After 4.d4 the line splits.

B1 4...cxd4 5.cxd4, after which the line splits again.

B1.1 5...Nf6 6.Nc3, when B1.1a 6...g6 7.h3 Bg7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 e5 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Be3 scores 67% for White, B1.1b 6...e6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.h3 scores 74% for White and B1.1c 6...Bg4 7.d5!? Ne5 8.Nxe5! dxe5 (Black loses a piece after 8...Bxd1? 9.Bb5+ Nd7 10.Bxd7+ Qxd7 11.Nxd7) 9.Qb3 scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B1.2 5...e6 6.Nc3, when B1.2a 6...Nf6 is a transposition to B1.1b, and B1.2b 6...a6 7.Bd3 Nf6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Re1 scores 90% for White.

B1.3 5...Bg4 6.d5!?, when B1.3a 6...Ne5? (Black's most-popular move, but it loses immediately) 7.Nxe5! Qa5+ (7...Bxd1 8.bb5+ etc) 8.Bd2 scores 100% for White, B1.3b 6...Bxf3 7.gxf3!? scores 95% for White, albeit from a small sample, and B1.3c 6...Nb8 7.Nc3 scores 100% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

B1.4 5...g6 6.d5!?, when B1.4a 6...Ne5 7.Nxe5 dxe5 8.Nc3 scores 88% for White, albeit from a small sample, and B1.4b 6...Nb8 7.Bb5+ scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B2 4...Nf6 5.d5 Nb8 6.Bg5 scores 69% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B3 4...Bg4 5.d5, after which the line splits again.

B3.1 5...Ne5? 6.Nxe5 Bxd1 7.Bb5+ Qxd7 8.Bxd7+ scores 100% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B3.2 5...Nb8 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 scores 88% for White, albeit from a small sample.

B3.3 5...Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Ne5 reaches a position in which White scores 100% with 7.Qe3, 7.Qd1 and 7.Qg3, albeit from very small samples.

C) 3...g6 (638 games)

After 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4!? Nf6 9.e5 the line splits.

C1 9...dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Nxe5 Be6 12.Na3 White scores 86%, albeit from a small sample.

C2 9...Nc6 10.Bb5, when the line splits again.

C2.1 10...Nh5 reaches a position that occurs only three times in Mega21. The engines agree White has the upper hand after 11.0-0.

C2.2 10...dxe5 11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 13.Nxe5 scores 83% for White, albeit from a very small sample.

D) 3...e6 (295 games)

After 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 Nf6 6.Bd3!? the line splits.

D1 6...Be7 7.Nc3, after which the line splits again.

D1.1 7...0-0 8.0-0, when D1.1a 8...Nc6 is a transposition to B1.1b, and D1.1b 8...a6 9.Qe2 Nc6 10.e5 scores 89% for White.

D1.2 7...Nc6 is a transposition to B1.1b.

D2 6...Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 is a transposition to B1.1b.

E) 3...a6 (159 games)

After 4.d4 the line splits.

E1 4...Nd7 5.Bd3 after which the line splits again.

E1.1 5...g6 6.0-0 Bg7 7.a4 scores 79% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E1.2 5...e6 6.0-0 when E1.2a 6...Ngf6 7.Qe2 scores 90% for White, albeit from a small sample, and E1.2b 6...Ne7 reaches a position in Mega21 in which White scores 75% with both 7.Nbd2 and 7.b4, albeit from very small samples.

E1.3 5...Qc7 6.0-0 Ngf6 7.Qe2 scores 69% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E1.4 5...e5 6.dxe5!? scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample.

E1.5 5...b5 6.0-0 Bb7 7.a4 c4 8.Bc2 scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample.

F) 3...e5!? (150 games)

After 4.d4 the line splits.

F1 4...cxd4 5.cxd4, after which the line splits again.

F1.1 5...exd4 6.Nxd4 Nf6 7.Nc3 Be7 8.Bb5+ scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample.

F1.2 5...Bg4 6.dxe5 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 scores 93% for White, albeit from a small sample.

F2 4...Qc7 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bc4 scores 65% for White.

F3 4...exd4 5.cxd4, after which the line splits again.

F3.1 5...Nf6 6.Nc3 scores 94% for White, albeit from a small sample.

F3.2 5...cxd4 is a transposition to F1.1.

G) 3...Bg4 (115 games)

After 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 White scores 71%, albeit from a small sample.

H) 3...d5?! (108 games)

After 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4 the line splits.

H1 5...Nf6 6.Be2 scores 83% for White, albeit from a small sample.

H2 5...Bg4 6.Be2 scores 75% for White, albeit from a small sample.

H3 5...cxd4 6.cxd4 scores 92% for White, albeit from a small sample.

Opening Lessons From Basel V

IN round five I had black against Steve Heron from Liechtenstein, who is 11 or 12 and has a Fide rating of 1580.

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb3!?

There are eight more-popular moves in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, but the text has been played by grandmasters. The idea, normally, is to inhibit Black's thematic Accelerated pawn-thrust ...d5.

5...Bg7 6.Bd3?!

But this puts ...d5 back on the agenda. Normal is 6.Be2, while 6.Nc3 allows the controversial 6...Bxc3+!?

6...Nf6 7.Nc3 d5

There are 50 examples of 7...0-0 in Mega21 and just five of 7...d5, but Kjetil A Lie (2493), the strongest player to reach the position after 7.Nc3, chose the thematic text.

8.0-0 0-0

Komodo12.1.1 narrowly prefers 8...d4, but Stockfish13 likes castling.

9.Re1 e5

Both engines like 9...d4.

10.Bg5 d4 11.Nd5 Be6 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6

Position after Black has connected rooks

It might be thought White is doing well as Black's fianchettoed bishop has been exchanged, but White has few prospects of exploiting the holes around the black king. Meanwhile Black has more space in the centre and the more-active bishop. The engines agree Black is better.

Opening Lessons from Basel IV

IN round four I had white against Maximilian Ponamarev from Germany, who is 15 or 16 and has a Fide rating of 2017.

Sicilian ...e6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6?!

This has been played by many grandmasters, including Svidler, Kamsky and Liberzon, but is probably a mistake, as I hope to show.

The main move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database is 4...Nf6, when the main line continues 5.Qe2 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 Be7 8.Rd1, when Komodo12.1.1 reckons White has a slight edge, but Stockfish13 is less sure.

5.d4

It is easy for Black to carelessly forget White still has this option even though it was not exercised at move three.

5...cxd4

This is the main move, but Svidler has also tried 5...d5, when 6.exd5 exd5 7.0-0 cxd4 8.Nxd4 was nice for White in Mihail Kobalia (2614) Peter Svidler (2723), Chess.com Blitz 2020 (1-0, 43 moves).

6.Nxd4 Bg7

This natural-looking move is the engines' choice but, after White's reply, Black is in big trouble.

Eliezer Malzman (-) - Vladimir Liberzon (2555), Israeli Championship (Tel Aviv) 1978, saw 6...a6 7.0-0 Bg7 8.c3!? (8.Be3 seems better) Nge7, when Malzman played the surely too-slow 9.Ne2 and drew, but the engines reckon White has the upper hand after 9.Be3 or 9.Nxc6.

Svidler chose 6...Qb6!? in a 2012 blitz win against Magnus Carlsen, but the engines' reckon the latter's reply 7.Nxc6?! throws away much of White's advantage. Instead they like the much more popular 7.Nb3, when Stockfish13 rates the white position as already positionally won, although Komodo12.1.1 'only' gives White the upper hand.

7.Nb5

Taking advantage of the holes in Black's set-up.

7...Nf6?

Most popular in Mega21 is 7...Qa5+?! 8.N1c3 Bxc3+?! 9.Nxc3, but the engines strongly dislike the whole concept (an old rule-of-thumb says that when you have a bad bishop, you should not swop off your good one).

The engines reckon Black's best chance lies in sacrificing a pawn with 7...d5!? 8.exd5 exd5 9.Qxd5 Qe7+ 10.Qe4 Be6, but agree White is better (much better, according to Stockfish13).

8.Nd6+

This is good enough to cement White's advantage, but even better seems to the engines' 8.e5!?, the point being 8...Nxe5 9.Qd6 wins material for White. Best play, according to the engines, continues 9...Qa5+ 10.N1c3 Nc4 11.Qc7! 0-0 12.Qxc4.

8...Kf8 9.Nc3 a6

The engines suggest 9...Ne8, albeit with a large advantage for White.

10.0-0 Ne8 11.Bf4 Nxd6 12.Bxd6+ Kg8 13.Kh1!?

This may be too slow. I rejected 13.f4 because of 13...Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Qxb2, which is Komodo12.1.1's choice, but both engines give White a large advantage after 15.Rf3.

13...Bf8

Eduard Fomichenko (2357) - Elena S Brineva (2139), Poltavskaya (Russia) 2005, saw 13...h6 14.f4 with a strong attack for White (1-0, 29 moves).

Komodo12.1.1 at first reckons White only has a slight edge after 13...b5, but comes to give White the upper hand (Stockfish13 reckons White is winning).

14.e5 Bxd6 15.exd6?!

The engines prefer 15.Qxd6, meeting 15...Qf8 with 16.Na4, and if Black exchanges queens (I wanted to keep queens on, which is why I played the text), both engines give White a positionally won game.

15...b6 16.Bxc6!?

This may be best but the position is no longer so clear.

16...bxc6 17.Qf3?!

The engines do not like this, but are unsure as to how White should proceed - suggestions include 17.f3!?, 17.Kg1!?, 17.Qd2 and 17.Qd3.

Position after White connects rooks

White retains an edge, according to the engines, but the important part of the analysis is earlier in the play when I think I have demonstrated why ...g6 at move four is dubious (but Svidler apparently disagrees, so who are you going to believe?).

Opening Lessons From Basel III

IN round three I had black against Jeremias Stark, a Swiss aged 11 or 12 with a Fide rating of 1599.

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nxc6!?

An unusual choice, but this was my eighth time facing it, and I have twice played it myself.

5...bxc6

Against juniors an interesting choice might be 5...dxc6!? True, White can get an edge with 6.Qxd8+, but then Black has achieved the first rule-of-thumb of playing against juniors - get the queens off.

6.Nc3!?

White's normal idea is to play 7.Qd4, but the little-played text is preferred by the analysis engines Stockfsih13 and Komodo12.1.1.

6...Bg7 7.f3?!

Passive and weakening. It is by no means clear White will need this move. The normal follow-up to 6.Nc3!? is to continue development with 7.Bc4.

7...d6

I misjudged 7...Nf6 8.e5, not liking the pawn-sac 8...Nd5!? and underrating the simple retreat 8...Ng8, which the engines reckon favours Black.

8.Bf4!?

This does not look right. The obvious square for this bishop is e3, while the engines again like Bc4.

8...Qb6 9.Na4!?

Awkward-looking, but the engines only marginally prefer 9.Rb1.

9...Qa5+ 10.c3 Be6 11.Bd3

The engines want White to play the aggressive 11.b4!?, reckoning 11...Qc7 12.Qd2 Qb7 (White was threatening 13.Nc5) 13.Bd3 is at best only slightly better for Black.

11...Nf6 12.0-0 0-0

Position after Black has castled

Black has connected rooks, and the opening can be thought of as over. The engines give Black a very small edge.

Opening Lessons From Basel II

IN round two I had white against Anuar Tureshbayev from France, who is nine or 10 and does not have a Fide rating.

French Irregular

1.Nc3!?

This can have independent meaning but can also be used as a transpositional device.

1...d5 2.d4

The independent 2.e4 is the most-popular move by far, at least in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, reaching a position that can arise, but rarely does, from a Scandinavian: 1.e4 d5 2.Nc3!?

2...e6 3.e4 c6!?

I have called this an irregular variation of the French Defence, but the position more often comes about from a Caro-Kann move-order: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 c6!?

4.Bd3

More popular are 4.Nf3 and 4.e5, but the text has been chosen by strong players, as has Stockfish13's pick, 4.a3!?

4...dxe4 5.Nxe4!?

Offering a promising gambit. Blackburne in 1880 preferred 5.Bxe4 Nf6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bxf6 in a simul win.

5...Qxd4

Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 approve of this principled decision, but they agree White has an edge.

6.Nf3 Qd8

All nine games in Mega21 feature this retreat, but 6...Qb6!? is worth investigating. The engines come to view the moves as of approximately equal value.

7.Qe2!?

Holding back on where to develop the dark-square bishop and on whether to castle short or long.

7...Nf6 8.Nxf6+

Known moves are 8.Bg5 and 8.Bf4, but the engines prefer the text.

8...Qxf6

The engines prefer 8...gxf6!?, one line given by them running 9.0-0 Qd5!? 10.Nh4!? Nd7 11.Be3 Ne5, when they reckon White has a slight edge.

9.Bg5?!

Reckless. The engines give White the upper hand after 9.c3.

9...Qxb2 10.0-0

Position after White castles

With one side having connected rooks, the middlegame can be thought of as starting. Stockfish13 gives Black a slight edge after 10...Nd7, but Komodo12.1.1 reckons White has full compensation for the sacrificed pawns.

Opening Lessons From Basel

IN the first round I had black against Cyrill Speiser, a Swiss aged 16 or 17 who did not have a Fide elo but had a national one of 1320.

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3

For many years the refutation of Black's move-order, which began as the Hyper-Accelerated Variation of the Sicilian but transposed into a 'merely' Accelerated Variation, was supposed to be 5.c4, setting up a Maróczy Bind. The point was that if Black failed to 'force' Nc3 by playing an early ...Nf6, White should punish the omission by clamping down on the centre.

Modern thinking, I believe, holds that while the Bind gives White a long-term slight edge, defensive techniques have improved to the extent that Black should be reasonably comfortable. Similar views are often expressed about the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit.

However, it is one thing for defensive techniques to have improved at elite levels, quite another for the same thing to have happened among club players.

Nevertheless, it is not every white who revels in the type of positional play the Maróczy usually entails, which is perhaps why there are almost 29,000 examples of the text in Chessbase's 2021 Mega database and just over 21,000 examples of 5.c4 (but the latter scores 57%, seven percentage points more than 5.Nc3).

I suspect the most important thing is to play what you feel most comfortable with, as is often the case unless one move can be shown to be seriously faulty.

5...Bg7 6.Nf3!?

What is White's idea?

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Much more popular in Mega21 are 6.Be3, 6.Nb3!?, 6.Nde2!? and 6.Nxc6!? All five moves have been played by grandmasters.

The idea of the text, which, at least in Mega21, only goes back to 1982, is presumably to interfere with Black's normal Accelerated plan of getting in ...d5 without spending a tempo on ...d6.

The drawback is that the white king's knight has spent three tempi getting to f3, from where it blocks the white f pawn, which often advances to f4 in the Sicilian.

6...Nf6

Also popular is 6...d6, which concedes the point about ...d5 but argues Black has little to fear since White has spent time manoeuvring the king's knight to what is arguably not its best square.

7.Bd3?!

Not only is this passive, but it seems to run contrary to the spirit of 6.Nf3!? More popular in Mega21 is 7.Bc4.

Note that 7.e5? runs into 7...Ng4, but the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 point out a bizarre trap in 8.Ng1!? Ngxe5? 9.f4, when the black king's knight is a gonner. However, after 8.Ng1!? the engines reckon 8...d5!? 9.exd6 Bd4!? is strong for Black.

7...0-0

The thematic 7...d5!? would be a novelty, at least in Mega 21, and also probably good.

8.Bf4?!

A strange-looking move, perhaps hoping to get a knight into c7. Most popular in Mega21 is 8.0-0, when the position, according to the engines, is more-or-less equal.

8...d5

Getting this move in without first having to play ...d6 is a main reason - probably the main reason - Accelerated players 'risk' the Maróczy.

9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qd2?

This should drop a pawn, but Black is also much better after 10.Bd2 or 10.Nxd5.

10...Nxf4?

Winning the bishop-pair, but Black can win a pawn with 10...Nxc3 11.bxc3 Qa5.

11.Qxf4 Bxc3+?!

Giving up the bishop-pair in return for inflicting structural weaknesses, but the engines' 11...Qb6 seems better.

12.bxc3 e5?

Not paying enough attention to the weak squares around the black king. The engines' 12...Qa5 is better.

13.Qh6 f6?!

This allows a drawing combination, and anyway may be inferior to 13...Qf6.

14.Bxg6!?

The opening is effectively over as objectively Black should now play 14...hxg6 and accept a draw by repetition. Instead I played on with 14...Qe7?!, although the game was eventually drawn.

Basel Round Five

FACED my fifth junior this afternoon in round five of the Basel tournament. He is 11 or 12 years old and registered with Liechtenstein.

Steve Heron (1580) - Spanton (1814)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb3!?

Position after 5.Nb3!?

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The main idea of this move, as I understand it, is to restrain ...d5, which is Black's thematic equalising move in the Accelerated Dragon.

5...Bg7 6.Bd3?!

But this blocks the white queen's action along the d file.

6...Nf6 7.Nc3 d5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1 e5

The analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 like 9...d4.

10.Bg5 d4 11.Nd5 Be6 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6

Black has lost the fianchettoed bishop, but White is unlikely to be able to exploit the holes around the black king.

14.Nc5 Bc8

The engines like 14...Nd8!?

15.Be2 Qh4 16.Bb5 Qe7 17.Nd3 Bd7 18.Qf3 Rac8 19.Qg3 a6?

Black has a tiny edge, according to the engines, after 19...Nb8 20.Bxd7 Nxd7.

20.Bxc6 Rxc6 21.Qxe5

I had missed the strength of this move.

21...Re8?

Probably best, according to the engines, is 21...Qxe5 22.Nxe5 Rc7 23.Nxd7 Rxd7, although Black is a pawn down without compensation.

22.Qxd4 Rxc2?

And this makes Black's situation even worse.

23.Nb4 Rc5

What else? Nd5 is a huge threat.

24.Nd5 Rxd5 25.Qxd5 Bc6 26.Qb3 Qh4

Hoping to conjure up a swindle, but the odds are against it.

27.f3 Re5 28.Qd3 Rh5 29.h3 Qg5 30.Rad1! Kg7

Not 30...Rxh3? 31.Qd8+ Qxd8 32.Rxd8+ Kg7 33.gxh3.

31.Qd4+ f6 32.Qd8 Qe5 33.f4!? Qxb2?

This allows a mate in three, but 33...Qxf4 34.Qe7+ Kh6 35.Qf8+ Kg5 36.Rf1 Qe5 37.Qd8 creates the threat 38.Qd2+.

34.Qe7+ Kg8 35.Rd8+ 1-0

Basel Round Four

ARRIVED at the clinic for my covid antigen test earlier than I needed to, and wished I had arrived even earlier as I got tested 10 minutes before my appointment was due.

By a stroke of luck, the tram that goes to the chess venue also passed very near to the clinic, so I arrived at the board for round four of the Basel Tournament 'only' 17 minutes late.

My opponent was a junior from Germany, aged 15 or 16.

Spanton (1814) - Maximilian Ponomarev (2017)

Sicilian 1...e6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6?!

Perhaps it is presumptuous of me to say so, but this move, which has been played by many strong players, including Svidler and Kamsky, is probably a mistake, as I hope will become clear.

5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4

How should Black proceed?

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6...Bg7

Grandmasters have tried many different moves, but it is doubtful if any is fully satisfactory.

The text is most-popular in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

Svidler chose 6...Qb6, but the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White is much better after 7.Nb3 (Kamsky's 2270 opponent played 5.0-0, but still managed to draw).

I thought Black should perhaps try 6...a6, but it has to be said Black's position looks very suspicious.

7.Nb5

The point behind why I believe ...g6 at move four is dubious. Having said that, Komodo12.1.1 reckons White 'only' has a slight edge. Stockfish13, as is often the case in its assessments, is more enthusiastic for the side with an advantage.

7...Nf6?

I thought Black should try 7...Qa5+ 8.N1c3 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3, which turns out to be the most-popular line in Mega21, but the engines reckon White is positionally winning.

The engines suggest Black should sac a pawn with 7...d5!? 8.exd5 exd5 9.Qxd5 Qe7+ 10.Qe4 Be6, which was seen in a Russian blitz game between two players rated just under 2500. The engines reckon White is only slightly better.

8.Nd6+

Not bad, but the engines much prefer 8.e5!?, the point being 8...Nxe5 9.Qd6, when the engines reckon best is 9...Qa5+ 10.N1c3 Nc4 11.Qc7! 0-0 12.Qxc4, leaving White up a knight for a pawn.

8...Kf8 9.Nc3 a6 10.0-0 Ne8 11.Bf4

MP in the postmortem suggested 11.Nxe8 Qxe8 (the engines prefer 11...Kxe8) 12.f4. The engines reckon best is 11.Be3, but all three moves leave White much better.

11...Nxd6 12.Bxd6+ Kg8 13.Kh1!?

Preparing f4, but this never comes, and MP said, bearing in mind what happens in the game, that Kh1 may be a mistake. Certainly it may be too slow. If 13.f4, Komodo12.1.1 gives the continuation I was worrying about, viz 13...Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Qxb2, but both engines reckon White is much better after 15.Rf3.

13...Bf8 14.e5 Bxd6 15.exd6

The engines much prefer 15.Qxd6, I rejected it because after 15...Qf8 White cannot retreat the queen without dropping the e pawn, and I felt White's advantage was bigger with queens on. However the engines reckon 16.Na4 Qxd6 17.exd6 is very good for White.

15...b6 16.Bxc6!?

This may be best, but the position is unclear.

16...dxc6 17.Qf3?!

But this seems to throw away much of White's already-diminishing advantage.

17...Bb7?!

This does not seem best, but again the engines are unsure, flitting between 17...Ra7!?, 17...Qxd6 and 17...Kg7.

18.Kg1?

Scared of shadows. White has the upper hand, according to the engines, after 18.Rad1.

18...Qxd6 19.Ne4 Qe7 20.Qc3

Not 20.Nf6+?? Kg7.

20...f5!

A committal move, but if the knight retreats, Black's worries are over.

21.Nf6+!

This may look suicidal, but White has resources to emerge with at least equal chances.

21...Kf7 22.Rad1 Rad8

MP rejected 22...Rhd8! because of 23.Nxh7, but the engines continue 23...Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rd8 with equality.

23.Rd7

Spectacular, perhaps, but not best as 23.Nd7! uses the same idea to reach a position in which White regains the pawn and has more pieces on the board to menace the black king (after 23...Rhe8 24.Nxb6).

23...Rxd7 24.Nxd7 Rd8

Not 24...Qxd7?? 25.Qxh8.

25.Nxb6 c5 26.Nc4 Qc7 27.Re1 Rd5?

As MP pointed out in the pm, this should lose. The engines reckon White has a slight edge after 27...Rd4.

28.Ne5+?

Missing the winning 28.Qh8.

28...Kg8 29.Qe3 Rd4 30.f3 Bd4!? ½–½

MP offered a draw, and I accepted as I could not see a way to an advantage. However the engines reckon White is well on top after 31.c3. I am fairly sure I thought 31...Ra4 was a good answer, but the engines give 32.Rd1 as winning.

Basel Round Three

COMPLETED a hat-trick of junior opponents this afternoon when I faced a Swiss aged 11 or 12 in the third round of the Basel tournament.

Jeremias Stark (1599) - Spanton (1814)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nxc6!? bxc6 6.Nc3!?

There are more than 1,400 games in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database with the move 6.Qd4, but the little-played text is preferred by the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1.

6...Bg7 7.f3?!

This seems to be more weakening than anything.

7...d6

I rejected 7...Nf6!? because of 8.e5, but the engines reckon Black is better after 8...Ng8.

8.Bf4 Qb6 9.Na4

This looks awkward, but the engines only marginally prefer 9.Rb1.

9...Qa5+ 10.c3 Be6 11.Bd3 Nf6 12.0-0 0-0 13.c4!?

The engines prefer 13.Be3, although then Komodo12.1.1 continues 13...c5 14.c4.

13...Nd7 14.Bd2 Qc7

I seriously considered the pinning 14...Qa6, but rejected it because of the reply 15.Qc2?!, missing that 15...Nb6 costs White a pawn after 16.Nxb6 Qxb6+ or 16.Nc3 Bxc4. I think I somehow thought White could meet 15...Nb6 with 16.c5?, but then very good for Black is 16...Qxa4 17.cxb6 Qxc2 18.Bxc2 Bxb2.

15.Bc3?!

Black is only slightly better, according to the engines, after a move such as 15.Qe2.

15...Rab8?!

Strong is 15...Bxc3 16.Nxc3 Qb6+ 17.Rf2 Ne5 as 18.b3? fails to 18...Qe3.

16.b3 Ne5?!

The engines prefer 16...Nc5 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Nxc5 Qb6, although they reckon it is at best a small edge for Black. In this line 17.Nxc5 Bxc3 18.Nxe6 fxe6 is better for Black, according to the engines, presumably because, although there are opposite-coloured bishops, the black bishop has much more freedom.

17.f4

Now White is better, according to the engines.

17...Nxd3 18.Qxd3 Bxc3 19.Nxc3 f5!?

Trying to open lines for the bishop, but Black's pawn-structure becomes compromised.

20.Rad1 fxe4 21.Qxe4 Bf5 22.Qe3!?

Komodo12.1.1 quite likes this move, but I felt the coming exchange of queens favours Black as a knight and queen often combine well in the middlegame while, after the queens come off, Black is left with the only piece (apart from the kings) that can move diagonally.

22...Qb6 23.Qxb6?!

Improving the black pawn-structure seems unnecessary, although at first the engines are happy with this capture.

23..axb6 24.Rde1 Rfe8 25.Ne4 Ra8 26.Rf2 h6 27.h3 Kf7 28.Ng3!?

A strange move, at least to me, but the position remains equal, according to the engines.

28...Bd7 29.f5 g5 30.Nh5 Ra5 31.g4 b5!?

White gets an outside passed pawn after this but it is a long way from the queening square and meanwhile an exchange of pawns gives Black's bishop more scope.

32.cxb5 Rxb5 33.Ng3 Rd5 34.Rb2?!

A puzzling move. Almost any other reasonable move keeps the position equal.

34...Rd3 35.Kh2 c5 36.Ne4?!

White is very close to equal after 36.Rf2, according to the engines.

36...Bc6?!

Missing the chance to get rid of the backward e pawn with 36...e6 or 36...e5.

37.Nf2 Rf3 38.Ne4?!

Probably better is 38.Re6 although Black is fine after 38...h5.

38...Rb8 39.Ree2?

Black is better after 39.Rbe2 Rb7, according to the engines, but the text runs into big trouble.

39...Rb4 40.Nd2 Rff4

Even better, according to the engines, is 40...Rc3!?, when the white king is suddenly looking rather vulnerable, eg 41.Nf1 h5 42.gxh5 Rh4 43.Re3 Rc1 44.Rf2 Rxh5 with continuing pressure.

41.Nc4?!

Better, according to the engines, is 41.Kg3 or 41.Rc2, although they much prefer Black.

41...Bb5

41...Rf1?! looks vaguely threatening but is harmless.

42.Rbc2

The engines reckon slightly better is 42.Rbd2!?, but Black still wins a pawn and is much better.

42...Bxd4 43.Rxc4 Rbxc4 44.bxc4 Rxc4 45.a3 h5?!

This is OK but unnecessarily complicating.

46.gxh5 Rf4?

Much better is 46...Rh4 with a large advantage.

47.Kg3?!

Objectively better is 47.h6 Rh4 48.Re6, although Black still has an advantage after 48...c4.

47...Rxf5?

...Rh4 is still much better.

48.Rf2 e6

How should White proceed?

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49.Rxf5+?

The pawn-ending is lost for White, despite having passed pawns on the a and h files, so something else should have been tried, eg 49.a4, but then 49...c4 is very good for Black.

49...exf5 50.h4?!

A better try is 50.a4 but 50...c4 51.Kf2 c3 52.Ke2 f4 etc wins. Also losing in this variation is 51.a5 c3 52.a6 c2 53.a7 c1=Q 54.a8=Q Qg1+ 55.Kf3 Qh1+.

The game finished:

50...gxh4+ 51.Kxh4 c4 52.a4 c3 53.a5 c2 54.a6 c1=Q 55.a7 Qf4+ 56.Kh3 Qe3+ 57.Kh4 Qf2+ 58.Kh3 Qxa7 0-1

Basel Round Two

FACED another junior this morning, and could discover little about him except he is French, aged nine or 10, does not have a Fide rating, and drew with a 1939 in round one.

Spanton (1814) - Anuar Tureshbayev (-)

French Irregular

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.e4 c6!?

Irregular, to say the least, but it has been played by grandmasters, and there are 525 examples of 3...c6!? in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

4.Bd3 dxe4 5.Nxe4!?

Speculative, but playable.

5...Qxd4 6.Nf3 Qd8 7.Qe2

Freeing d1 for a rook, and holding back on the dark-square bishop until Black has shown more of his hand.

7...Nf6 8.Nxf6+ Qxf6 9.Bg5?!

Throwing a second pawn on the fire, but Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White has the upper hand after 9.c3.

9...Qxb2 10.0-0 Qb6 11.Rab1

The engines prefer 11.Ne5.

11...Qc7 12.Rfd1 Be7 13.Qe4?!

The engines like 13.Qe3 and 13.Bxe7.

13...Bxg5 14.Nxg5 h6 15.Nf3 Nd7 16.Rd2 Nf6 17.Qh4 0-0 18.Rbd1 Bd7 19.g4!?

Black has connected his rooks and remains two pawns up, so I felt I had to do something or else I would be without compensation for the material minus.

19...Qf4 20.Be2 Rad8 21.Rd4 Qc7 22.g5 hxg5 23.Nxg5 e5

How should White proceed?

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24.Rd6?

The engines give 24.Bd3! Rfe8 25.Bc4 with an unclear position.

Another better try than the text is 24.Ne4!? as 24...exd4? 25.Nxf6+ gxf6 26.Bd3 Rfe8 27.Qh6 is a draw. However, after 24.Ne4!? Black has 24...Nxe4 25.Rxe4 Be6 with what the engines reckon is a clearly winning position.

24...Bf5 25.Rxd8

The desperate 25.Nxf7? fails to 25...Kxf7.

25...Rxd8 26.Rxd8+ Qxd8 27.Bc4

27.Qh8+!? Kxh8 28.Nxf7+ Kg8 29.Nxd8 wins back a pawn, but the engines continue 29...Bc8, when the white knight is surely doomed.

27...Bg6?

Much better is 27...Qd1+ 28.Kg2 Nd5.

28.Nf3?

Retreating the knight is always likely to be hopeless, but here it misses 28.Bxf7+! Bxf7 29.Qh8+ Kxh8 30.Nxf7+ and 31.Nxd8, when White has equalised.

28...Qd1+ 29.Kg2 Be4 30.Qh3 Qxc2?

Greedy. Black can simply swop off into an ending two pawns up, but even better is 30...g5 etc.

31.Qc8+ Kh7 32.Qh3+ Kg6 33.Qg3+ Kh6 34.Qh4+ Kg6

Disastrous for Black would be 34...Nh5?? 35.Qg5+ Kh7 36.Qxh5+ Kg8 37.Qxf7+ and 38.Qh5#.

35.Qg3+ Kh7 36.Qh3+ Kg6 37.Qg3+ Kh6 38.Qh4+ Kg6 39.Qg3+ Kh6 40.Qh4+ ½–½

Basel Round One

Cyrill Speiser (?) - Spanton (1814)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Nf3!?

Unusual, but it has been played by grandmasters.

6...Nf6 7.Bd3

Not 7.e5? Ng4.

7...0-0 8.Bf4?!

White is more-or-less equal after 8.0-0, according to the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1.

8...d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Qd2?

Both 10.Bd2 and 10.Nxd5 are better.

How should Black proceed?

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10...Nxf4?

Missing the win of at least a pawn after 10...Nxc3 11.bxc3 Qa5.

11.Qxf4 Bxc3+?!

The engines' 11...Qb6 is probably better.

12.bxc3 e5?!

The engines prefer 12...Qa5.

13.Qh6 f6?!

Probably better, and certainly more practical, is 13...Qf6.

14.Bxg6!?

There had been a somewhat chaotic start to the first round, and I had not been able to find out who my opponent was (but I knew I had to be in the top half of the draw). My opponent and I exchanged names, and I told him my rating, but he said he could not remember his (and ratings were not displayed with the pairings, nor were they otherwise available, except online, which was awkward as phones are not allowed at the venue).

By the time CS played 14.Bxg6!?, the  lower-rated player on the board next to me (I was sat at the end of a row, so there was only one board next to me) had already lost a piece and was still rushing his moves (within a few minutes he would be mated, or possibly he resigned when faced with mate-in-one - I did not notice which).

Since these were the circumstances, I felt justified in taking the risk of playing on.

14...Qe7?!

14...hxg6 15.Qxg6+ Kh8 16.Qh6+ etc is dead-drawn.

15.Be4

The problem with my decision is not so much that Black is a pawn down - after all, White has doubled and isolated c pawns - but the fact that the black king is dangerously exposed. I should also have taken into consideration that my opponent, a junior, was not rushing his moves, unlike the much-younger junior sat next to me.

15...Be6 16.0-0 Kh8?

Trying for more than the position offers. Best, according to the engines, is 16...Qg7, although Stockfish13 gives White at least the upper hand after 17.Qe3 (Komodo12.1.1 reckons White only has a slight edge).

17.Nh4

Threatening 18.Ng6+. Black's reply is forced.

17...Kg8 18.f4 Qg7

I felt I had to offer an exchange of queens.

Not 18...f5? 19.Bxc6 (19.Rf3!? is also strong) bxc6 20.Rae1 e4 21.Re3.

I also did not like the look of 18...exf4 19.Rxf4, when Black's king is in huge danger.

19.Qxg7+

If 19.Qh5!? then not 19...Bg4? 20.Bxh7+! Instead Black should probably play 20...Qf7, when White is either obliged to allow an exchange of queens or has to withdraw his queen from the vicinity of the black king.

19...Kxg7 20.Rad1 Rfd8

Likely the wrong rook, but almost certainly better than 20...Bxa2?!, when 21.Nf5+ Kh8 (21...Kg8? 22.Rd7 is horrific for Black, eg 22...Rf7 23.Nh6+) 22.Nd6 is strong for White.

21.Rb1 Rab8

I rejected 21...Rd7 because of 22.Rxb7!? Rxb7 23.Bxc6 Rab8 24.Bxb7 Rxb7 25.fxe5 fxe5, but the engines reckon White is only slightly better. I missed that 26.Re1 can be met by 26...Kf6 (or 26...Rb5 for that matter).

22.fxe5 fxe5

I rejected the engines' choice, 22...Nxe5!?, because of 23.Rxb7+ (better than 23.Bxb7, according to the engines) Rxb7 24.Bxb7, but the black knight gets a decent outpost, and Black's pieces are better coordinated than White's.

23.Nf5+ Kh8

I thought this was forced because of 23...Kg8 24.Bxc6 bxc6 25.Ne7+ Kg7 26.Nxc6, but 26...Rxb1 27.Rxb1 Rd2 28.Nxe5 Rxc2 29.Rb7+ Kf6 30.Nf3 Rxa2 31.Rxh7 is not completely clear-cut, despite White's two-pawn advantage, as Black's outside passed pawn is a fast runner.

However, the engines prefer the text as they reckon 23...Kg8 is well-met by White maintaining the pressure with 24.a4 or 24.Ne3.

24.Nh6 Kg7 25.Nf5+ Kh8 26.Nh6 Kg7 27.Nf5+ ½–½

A severe case of rating-itis; of course White should play on.

(I discovered after the game that CS does not have a Fide rating, but has a Swiss rating of 1320.)

Middlegame Lessons From Crete VI

IN this series I am looking at important middlegame tactical and positional decisions players faced in my games at the Amateur Chess Organization's world senior championship at the Fodele Beach Resort, Crete.

In round eight I, for the second time, faced Tomasz Sielicki, a Pole with a Fide rating of 1905 (but listed at the tournament under his May rating of 1938). This time I had white, and the full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/06/justice-in-chess.html

How should Black get out of check?

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31...Bd7?

This loses, as does 31...Kb6?? 32.Qxb7+ Ka5 33.Nc4+ etc.

Correct is 31...Rd7! as, after 32.Qxf8 Qxe5, White more-or-less has to take a draw by repetition with 33.Ne8+ Kc8 34.Nd6+ etc. Note that 33.h3?? Rxd6 34.hxg4 Qe4+ is very good for Black, while 33.Nc4? loses to 33...Bf3+! (other moves also win) 34.Rxf3 Rd1+ 35.Kg2 Qe2+ 36.Kg3 Rg1+ 37.Kf4 g5+ 38.Kf5 Qe6#.

White could try 32.Ne8+?! Kb6 33.Qxc5+ Kxc5 34.Nf6, but then 34...Bh3 (Stockfish13 also likes 34...Rd4!?) 35.e6! Bc8 36.exf7 Kd6 is a little better for Black.

After the text, the game continued 32.Ne8+ Rfxe8 33.Qxc5 (1-0, 55 moves).